Episodes

  • This Is Exactly How Trump Broke Our America

    This Is Exactly How Trump Broke Our America
    Sep 28 2026
    Anand Giridharadas returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to discuss his new book, Man in the Mirror, and the three years he spent reporting on the fatal subway encounter between Jordan Neely and Daniel Penny. Giridharadas takes Joanna Coles inside a story that became a national Rorschach test, exploring race, homelessness, mental illness, public safety, fear, dehumanization, and the difficulty of making sense of a morally complicated event in an era of simple slogans. He also reveals what he learned from following the people at the center of the case, including Daniel Penny’s Marine Corps training, the NYPD detectives who questioned him, and the outreach workers trying to help people living on the streets. Then the conversation takes an unexpected turn toward the Epstein files, as Giridharadas connects the sense of abandonment he found on that subway car to what he sees as a defining political emotion in America today. #ad Save 20% off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/DAILYBEAST! #honeylovepod #ad Start a free trial and get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core at https://monarch.com with code BEAST. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • This Is How Idiot Trump Is Being Played by China

    This Is How Idiot Trump Is Being Played by China
    Sep 27 2026
    Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take a closer look at Donald Trump’s encounter with Xi Jinping and what China may have learned from a president they see as unusually susceptible to flattery, especially when it comes to the delicate question of Taiwan. They also dissect Melania Trump’s new women’s network, the growing role of billionaires around the White House, and the extraordinary rise of Kimberly Guilfoyle from Fox News to ambassador to Greece, including the business and personal relationships now surrounding her diplomatic role. Then, the conversation turns to Trump’s escalating fight with the press and the uncertain future of CNN as its ownership changes hands, before Wolff and Coles weigh in on the memoirs of Bob Chapek and Ari Emanuel and what they reveal about a rapidly changing media and entertainment industry. #ad INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast 🛡️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • How Trump Just Got Humiliated by His Star Guest

    How Trump Just Got Humiliated by His Star Guest
    Sep 26 2026
    Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty dig into Donald Trump’s extraordinary welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping, from the red-carpet spectacle and lavish state dinner to the tensions over Taiwan, Iran, and China’s support for Tehran. They examine what Xi’s carefully chosen language of the “Thucydides Trap” reveals about the increasingly complicated U.S.-China relationship, and why the White House’s embrace of Chinese power looks so striking alongside Trump’s attacks on Beijing. Then, with the midterms looming, Hugh breaks down the Republican panic showing up in key races across the country, where money is shifting and some GOP candidates appear eager to keep Trump at arm’s length. Plus, the escalating fight between Trump and the press, the White House’s attempt to restrict CNN’s access, the media’s decision to stand together, and Trump’s launch of his own 24/7 “Trump TV”—before Joanna and Hugh get into the bizarre resemblance between Ivanka Trump and Natalie Harp that had everyone doing a double take. #ad Save 20% off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/DAILYBEAST! #honeylovepod #ad Start a free trial and get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core at https://monarch.com with code BEAST. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • This Is Trump's Twisted New Fixation: Wolff

    This Is Trump's Twisted New Fixation: Wolff
    Sep 25 2026
    Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack Trump’s latest threats to “annihilate” Iran, including the bizarre White House effort to find him a new word after “obliterate” apparently lost its punch. They discuss Trump’s UN week showdown with world leaders, Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House, Melania Trump’s new women’s initiative, and RFK Jr.’s extraordinary $4 million book deal. They also examine the devastating testimony from families affected by ICE shootings in Minneapolis and what it could mean as the midterms approach, before turning to the widening Republican Senate map and the chaos surrounding Trump’s proposed White House ballroom. With Trump declaring “I am the code” as questions swirl around the building’s safety regulations, Michael and Joanna trace the larger pattern behind a president who refuses to accept limits, rules or anyone telling him what he can and cannot do. #ad INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast 🛡️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    59 mins
  • I Know the Secret of Why Trump Truly Fears Putin

    I Know the Secret of Why Trump Truly Fears Putin
    Sep 24 2026
    Luke Harding, author of the new book Betrayal: Trump, Putin and The New Age of Conquest, speaks with Joanna Coles about the decades-long relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and the Russian intelligence operation that Harding argues helped cultivate Trump as a potential target for influence. Harding traces Trump’s early connections to Moscow, the murky financial dealings that followed, and the compromising information that may give Putin leverage over the president, including what could have been captured during Trump’s visits to Russia. He also explains why Russia viewed Trump’s 2016 victory as a historic intelligence triumph, how Trump’s approach to Ukraine has benefited Putin, and why Russia and China see an opportunity to reshape the global order. Harding reveals what he experienced firsthand while reporting in Moscow, including the surveillance and intimidation campaign that ultimately led to his expulsion, before turning to the startling possibility that Russian state television has used Melania Trump as a warning to her husband. #ad If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch: https://ForThePeople.com/DAILYBEAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Why Floundering Trump Will Sell Out on World Stage

    Why Floundering Trump Will Sell Out on World Stage
    Sep 23 2026
    Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles return to dissect Donald Trump’s latest battle with the press, his launch of Trump TV, and the high-stakes arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. They examine why Trump keeps turning the media into his enemy, what his escalating wars and increasingly precarious relationship with China could mean for the United States, and how a meeting with Xi could reshape the balance of power around Taiwan and beyond. They also look at Trump’s claims about military installations, his reliance on spectacle and conflict to dominate the news cycle, and the looming midterms, where Democrats may be tempted to read too much into Trump’s current political troubles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Why Pathological Trump Just Made a Major Blunder

    Why Pathological Trump Just Made a Major Blunder
    Sep 22 2026
    David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to explore the latest chaos inside Trump’s White House, from the unprecedented standoff between the president and the White House press corps to the growing influence of Natalie Harp and Trump’s obsession with controlling his media coverage. They also dig into Trump’s looming UN appearance, his delicate balancing act with Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, and the bizarre FBI controversy over bestiality rules that has become a symbol of the administration’s increasingly unconventional approach to government. Plus, Rothkopf takes aim at Pete Hegseth’s vision for a hyper-masculine military, Trump’s proposed national-security projects—including a bizarre triumphal arch—and the deeper frustration he says is building among America’s national-security professionals. As Trump heads into a week of high-stakes meetings and global diplomacy, Rothkopf explains why the spectacle surrounding the president may be funny one moment and dangerously consequential the next. #ad Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEAST at https://www.oneskin.co/BEAST #oneskinpod #ad If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch: https://ForThePeople.com/DAILYBEAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • I Know Exactly Why Trump's Base is Finally Turning

    I Know Exactly Why Trump's Base is Finally Turning
    Sep 21 2026
    Terry Moran joins Joanna Coles on the Daily Beast Podcast to discuss his recent trip to Iowa, where voters are growing increasingly frustrated with Donald Trump over the rising cost of living, soaring energy prices, and a shrinking sense of possibility. Moran reveals what he learned from farmers and young people in a state that once embraced Trump, and why their dissatisfaction may not translate into renewed faith in the Democratic Party. He also opens up about his departure from ABC News, the pressures facing legacy media, and why fear and corporate interests are shaping coverage of the White House. Moran and Coles examine the questions surrounding Trump's health, the influence of Natalie Harp, and Melania Trump's conspicuous absence from public life before turning to the chaos inside the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth's future, and the growing role of social media in the administration. As the conversation looks ahead to 2028, Moran weighs the potential of figures like Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, and Jon Ossoff, and explains why the next generation of political leaders may need to restore something Americans are increasingly missing: a sense of seriousness and possibility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    57 mins